Computer systems, particularly personal computer systems, include a box or chassis that contains the electronic hardware of the central processing unit and communication cables for transferring data between terminals and other data communications components. Typically, the manufacture of the chassis includes forming a metal support frame to receive the electronic hardware and placing a cover around the electronic components and the support frame. Although a personal computer chassis is sufficiently small that one person usually can pick it up, a fully assembled unit weighs approximately 70 pounds.
As factory assembly of a personal computer chassis takes place, the chassis increases in weight and becomes more difficult to maneuver along an assembly line. Picking up and moving the heavy computer chassis can present safety and handling problems for factory workers. If a method and apparatus existed to preassemble major portions of the computer chassis prior to full assembly of the chassis itself, the weight of the chassis could be distributed among the major modular portions. This would eliminate problems associated with moving and handling the complete tower chassis until final assembly.
A fully assembled tower chassis includes a main circuit board that comprises a central processing unit and other communications and data processing electronic components as well as power conversion and distribution components that operate the computer. If it were possible to separate a significant portion of the tower chassis electronic components in a modular fashion to concentrate repair efforts on a major modular section, handling safety problems associated with these repairs would also be minimized.
Related problems exist with respect to efficiency in manufacturing the computer chassis. For example, known tower chassis assembly methods begin with the chassis structural frame. Throughout the computer assembly, all electronic and mechanical components of the tower chassis are installed on the structural frame. As components on the structural frame become more densely packed together, it becomes increasingly difficult for more than one worker to assemble additional components on the structural frame. As a result, the manufacturing process slows as the tower chassis becomes more densely packed with mechanical and electronic components.
If a system and method existed to allow workers to first assemble major portions of the computer tower chassis and then connect the major portions together, more than one worker could easily assemble the separate major portions. This would increase computer tower assembly rates and ultimately increase the manufacturing process efficiency.
Consequently, there is a need for a method and apparatus that minimizes the safety, handling, and assembly problems associated with manufacturing a computer chassis. There is a need for an apparatus that allows repair personnel to safely and efficiently disassemble a computer tower chassis for the purpose of isolating and repairing defective components of the computer tower chassis.
There is a need for a method and apparatus that allows more than one factory worker to simultaneously assemble portions of a computer tower chassis.